First win of the season! (17.March@FUKUOKA)
Due to time constraints and the secret inner trainspotter in me, which has emerged due to the phenomenal train system in Japan, I’ve just got back from a 24 hour round trip to the Fukuoka away game, only possible via shink. And 2 types of shink may I add. This trip I got to experience the Mizuho variety – the private jet version of the shink – wooden panelled what-nots and even more legroom. I thought any train that turns up vaguely on time and has a seat not covered in too much gum and abandoned newspapers I’d be happy. The shink continues to hold a special place in my heart.
After arriving around 10pm, I headed straight out to watch the Arsenal game. Found a great little sports bar and ended up sharing it with some Japanese scousers – me at one end with the Arsenal game on a TV, and them the other end with another TV set up for the Liverpool game. Whilst the place was a little overly dedicated to baseball, the menu contained a section of J League team cocktails. Much to my horror Sanga was not on the list, but after a bit of banter with the barman, I soon corrected this flaw and he whipped this up for me – a lilac fruity little number for Kyoto.
Sunday morning I headed off to the bus station and joined a long queue of navy (Fukuoka) and purple shirted people heading to the Level Five stadium. I know I always say it, but again only in Japan could rival fans, so openly ‘out’ in their respective shirts travel to the stadium together so peacefully!
We wound along through the back streets and arrived at the pretty decent Level Five stadium – NO TRACK (need I say more?!), the token inflatable provided by sponsor (coke can) and an array of food stalls. Since supporting Sanga not only has my football routine switched from the Saturday 3pm ritual to Sunday afternoon, but because of the stadium staple – my Saturday night kebab ( or Sunday hangover leftovers breakfast) has also moved to Sunday afternoons. Not as good as Nishikyogoku’s kebab where they use a hot plate rather than a rice cooker to finish the meat off, but a decent attempt with the chilli sauce.
As for the game itself, whilst of course the first victory of the season is always sweet, today was one of those games that you just didn’t want to end. Sanga took their first shot at the 43 second mark, which set the standard for the game with them pushing up and constantly stripping the ball away from a quite dirty Fukuoka. I have to say I actually enjoyed the cheek of the Fukuoka lads, and after seeing the interpreter desperately trying to convey the ranting of their Slovakian manager, I figured that the players may have been learning some other lessons than just new formations.
After the final whistle, the Sanga lads headed straight to the supporters’ stand to celebrate, and as I watched them chanting together, I felt that whilst the J League sadly remains a bit minor, in some ways it is better than the Premier League for us fans. The Premier League will always be my first love, but it has quite an exclusive, distant feel to it these days. As a fan I want to go the stadium and see the game, I don’t want to have to rely on Match of the Day or Twitter updates, yet if I was in the UK now I wouldn’t be able to get to the stadium as often as I can here – lack of funds for those tickets and the ridiculous waiting lists. If something makes it hard work for you to support it, you have to think is it worth it? The J League makes itself accessible to fans, and for that it deserves a bit more recognition.
Baki's Back!
.........and off again, but in a way, that was the red card cherry on top of the opening game cake. A local derby game with the recently relegated Gamba Osaka was always going to be a gooden, and it didn't disappoint on the drama front. It was the perfect season opener. Sanga taking the lead goal, then Osaka equalling, then going ahead, then us equalling, then going ahead....and then that last penalty. 3-3.
But 3 goals for Sanga, the well-deserved fruit of their beautiful passing, using the space, moving forward and an abundance of shots. So different to last season. Can't complain at all. Plus, seeing this performance, somehow the new kit is growing on me too.
It was interesting to see a (ex) J League stadium, and couldn't help but compare it to Nishikyogoku. Of course Gamba's Expo' 70 Commemorative stadium has a bigger capacity, and it was all the fun of the fair with the international food stalls outside - had a pretty decent burrito. It was also pretty easy to access, just step off the monorail and there you are. For me though, easy access sacrifices the local feel of stadiums like Nishikyogoku, planted smack in the middle of neighbourhoods that naturally generate a community of fans and local business support. There's nowt quite like being on the Hankyu with all the other fans, getting off and crossing over to the stadium together, and seeing all the purple shirts emerging from the side streets and surging into the ground.
It was also a good chance to see the symbol of Expo' 70 by the very famous and influential artist Taro Okamoto - 'The Tower of the Sun' (太陽の塔). It encompasses 3 faces of the sun to represent the past, present and future. Something quite relevant perhaps for us football fans, whose lives follow the ups and downs of relegation and promotion, looking back to past seasons of glory, misses and reassuring ourselves with what the next game will bring.
On the topic of 'art', you may notice I've included a photo of a giant inflatable battery by Gamba's sponsor Panasonic. Nishikyogoku has it's giant inflatable chairs. So this season, instead of checking out all the different cheesy, cutesy mascots, my focus will be on these rather unique stadium decorations. Tracks and giant inflatables...stadiums over this end eh.....
Footy season has come!!
Last weekend’s friendly against Gifu took me to the (even colder than Kyoto) Gifu prefecture. I had intended to stay over one night and experience a bit of suburban Japan, but alas there was no sports bar to be had and thus no way to watch the Arsenal game. So I quickly dumped the beautiful countryside of Gifu and headed to the other ‘big city’ Nagoya………which also allowed for a bit of work on ‘Project Doris’ aka lady friend to enjoy Arsenal with.
I returned to the business hotel (alone…) and felt satisfied after a decent win and from the atmosphere of an ‘Irish pub’ with a wonderful cheese platter.
In the morning in my search for brekkie, and trying to break my conveni store cycle of onigiri and a cuppa, I came across one of Nagoya’s morning café culture style establishments. That also happened to be a hang out for grandmothers, chin-wagging their Sunday morning away together over what I can only describe as the most random combination of foods on a breakfast platter I have ever experienced. I have to say it was good though. And like the breakfast, the architecture of the place was as equally a perplexing concoction of Western and Japanese styles.
After brekkie I headed to the stadium and met up with Ted, where we straightaway tucked into sampling the delights of the stadium grub; I, a locally sourced beef burger, and Ted, a turkey leg. Again, more random food from this area.
The thing that got me most about this trip was seeing a bit more of the passion of Japanese footy fans. Footy still remains the younger sibling of sports here, losing out to the older ugly sister that is baseball, so it was reassuring to see this. Starting in the sports bar, there were three young Japanese lads in full Arsenal wear who had perfected (even down to the north London accent) the chants of the stands at the Emirates. They had never been there, but their commitment to their love had led them to sound like a local through hard and well-rehearsed practice sessions. Of course there were the wonderful devoted Sanga fans, who had braved even colder weather than Kyoto’s harsh winter, to support their love, some so enthusiastic they were topless in the snow. Then out of the blue another example…..Ted buying the other team’s goods! An act of kindness to the poorer side I thought…..no, just for the love of the game he said.
Training camp+vitamin C=goals
So they listened then.
At the end of last season, every Sanga fan had "Just have a shot!" bursting out of them. Well, today, we saw what they've been working on over the break......just having a shot.
They not only displayed their trademark exquisite passing, but once they were in range, taking lots of shots at the goal. So now they look seriously dangerous.
Three goals were scored against the pretty decent and aggressive Ehime. Last season the opposition’s defense would have frustratingly undone all the beautiful passing and goal set up, but today we were whipping the shots straight past and unsettling their wall-like defense. A real promising atmosphere for the season was set out in today's friendly.
Having escaped the snowy freezer of Kyoto to the stunning scenery unique to this part of Japan, we bathed in the calm warm weather and took in the mountain views that made up the backdrop of the stadium.
As a relatively newbie of Sanga's fan club, I was taken aback a bit after arriving to see half the stand filled with other Kyoto-ites and loyal fans who had also chosen to spend the long weekend watching their team prep for the season. Something I don't think even a die-hard (insert major Premier League team name) fan would do, and the reason why....perhaps because it was free, and the team looked liked they wanted us there. It was open to fans, making it easy to support them. Like the event last weekend, Sanga seems to join up with the fans rather than treat them just as seat-buying customers. Seeing this 'behind the scenes' view strengthened my feelings even more for my new ‘love’.
From tip of the island -Go to SANGA's training camp-
Hey!I'm Ted.but I'm Japanese.I'm Gordon's friend.I don't know why he call me Ted.
I really like football and Supporting Kyoto SANGA F.C. too.
I hope many expat coming over to NISHI KYOGOKU.
Gordon and me were went to SANGA's training camp at KIRISHIMA(KAGOSHIMA pref.)
Because he asked me 'How to get there?'but I've never been to KAGOSHIMA.I noticed,I have to go to there... Then,We got in my own car soon...
To KAGOSHIMA.
We want to do strange but funny adventure.So We changed the route.
Our purpose is want to see the sea,take the ship and want to have any local foods.
At first,We take on the SHIMA-NAMI-KAIDO,around this area is my favourite.These are really beautiful and nice bridges.but I like taking the ferry.
We found one service station while driving on the bridges.And I bought some citrus.
I'm crazy about citrus.This is first local food.Gordon was satisfied. He is easy and cheesy.
Do you know 'SAGANO-SEKI'? There are famous as a SEKI-SABA(expensive mackerel) producing district.
I found ship's route for SAGANOSEKI when I checked the map for KYUSYU.Of course We excited about depature from tip of island.
2hours later,We took the ship and watching the sea.
For SAGANOSEKI it takes about 70min by ferry.
When We arrived at SAGANO-SEKI and then We lost our way.Suddenly,One Old guy chatted to us.And recommended for how to get KAGOSHIMA.And I don't know why he gave us 15oranges.Countryside people is really kind.
That old guy was recommended drive along the Mt.ASO.
He said there is very beautifu way.
We drived a car along the Mt.ASO according to him,but can't see anything...
Because Night time...
Finally,We arrived at YATSUSHIRO city and stay one night.
Kick-off Festa
I’m kicking off this blog with a trip to the ‘Kick-off Festa’ event to mark the beginning of the new season.
A type of event perhaps unique to Japanese football and rarely seen back home, an event dedicated to having the fans come together with the club, to mark the beginning of a new battle, a new opportunity to rise back up to J1. A sample of Nishikyogoku stadium’s food (home stadium), selection of Sanga goods for purchase and a stage for the grand unveiling of the new players as well as the much anticipated 2013/2014 new kit.
Unfortunately the interview with the new players was marred somewhat by the female TV anchorwoman, whose strength as a journalist only ran to asking each of them about their favourite food….(????)
Next came the new kit. In contrast to the average press conference back home where the star player models the new kit, the room was darkened and then filled with disco lights and hardcore house music, as 6 players draped in silk cloaks one-by-one entered the stage and revealed the new kit – goalie, away and home. The audience was mesmerised and signalled a good reaction. Perhaps due to the loss of the red panel of the previous design, and in favour of a pure purple shirt with collar, for the new home kit. The previous kit had received quite a poor reaction I heard due to the red panel, however having started supporting them whilst they wore the purple and red combination, I felt a little saddened by the loss of it. Not a bad design, just a little bland and something I would see more often worn by my junior-high school kids during P.E, rather than by professional footballers.
(3.2.2013 @Kyoto Pulse plaza)
Anyway, here’s to a new season. 9 months of more beautiful passing, more shots on target and more sampling of wonderful Japanese stadium snacks.
